Report: 12 prisoners hanged in a single day across prisons in Mashhad, Karaj, and Ahvaz
Hengaw: Thursday, May 1, 2025
On Wednesday, at least 12 prisoners were executed across three prisons in Iran—Vakilabad in Mashhad, Ghezel Hesar in Karaj, and Sepidar in Ahvaz. Among them were a Gilak political prisoner, five Baloch inmates, and a Kurdish prisoner.
According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the executions were carried out on April 30, 2024. In addition to the execution of political prisoner Mohsen Langar-Neshin, at least three more people were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.
Hengaw has learned that Asghar Vatanparast, a Turk from Tabriz who had been on death row for seven years over drug-related charges, was executed alongside Hamid Fazeli, a Tehran resident who had been imprisoned for four years, and Emad Ahmadi, a 27-year-old Kurdish prisoner from Kermanshah living in Tehran, who was sentenced three years ago for murder.
Meanwhile, in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, six more executions were carried out, including four Baloch prisoners convicted of drug-related offenses. Hengaw has identified them as Abdolghafar Barahouei, 47; Parviz Dastkaleh, 40; Abdolsamad Gorgij; and Javid Golbacheh, 34—all from Zahedan. According to informed sources, Barahouei and his brother Dastkaleh were arrested in a joint case four years ago; Gorgij was arrested two years ago, and Golbacheh four years ago.
Two other prisoners were also executed at Vakilabad Prison. One of them has been identified as Mahdi Azizi, a resident of Mashhad. Hengaw is working to confirm the identity of the sixth individual.
Separately, two more executions were reported at Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz. One of the executed prisoners was identified as Mohammad-Nabi Zirkari, a 43-year-old Baloch man from Mirjaveh. Both had been sentenced to death in separate cases involving drug-related charges. Zirkari had been imprisoned for eight years before his execution.
To date, only the execution of political prisoner Mohsen Langar-Neshin has been reported by state-affiliated media. The executions of the other 11 people have not been acknowledged by Iranian government outlets, particularly those tied to the judiciary.
